sheldrick



.9 1927. 1,638,752 Aug G. E. SHELDRICK ADJUSTABLE TRACK 'FOR MAILSTAMPING MACHINES Filed Oct. 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l I L w 3140mm Geayei'. 571a ZzZrzcJf 1,638,752 -9' 9 G. E. SHELDRICK ADJUSTABLE TRACK FORMAIL STAMPING MACHINES Filed Oct. 22; 1923 ZSheets-Sheet z i Q 1 :fl.

Patented Aug, 9, 1927 ,i UN! GEORGE E. SHELDRI'CK, or rne'rnoinMICHIGALL" Assre'non, BY MEsNE' NME 1 T PITNEYBOWES PosrAeE METERCOMPANYNOF STAMFORD,- coNnEo'rIcUmjA CORPORATION or IDELAWARE.'

.AnJUs'rABLE TRACK FOR. MAIL-STAMPING MAonIiI'Es.

Application filed October 22 1923. s ria No. 670,190. r

This invention relates-to machines for stamping letters or other" mail Imatter.

Among the machines to which'the invention is applicable are those foraffixing stamps to mail matteryprinting stamps or permits:

tables withreference to the stampingimeans" or other means acting uponthe mail matter in its travel,1 such adjustment primarily serving toadapt the machinefor handlingf letters or the likef'of' various sizesfii In the drawingsz f Figure jl-is a plan view of an" envelope which theinvention is shown applied a Figure2 isan enlarged plan view 'show-fin'gfsolely'the; track adjustment means}; 1' i Figurefl3 is a sectionalelevation. off-said: adjustment means, theplane of sectionb'eff ingindicated by line 3- 3 of Figure" 2. 1

' *Thereference' characters-'1 and 2' 'desi'g-A naterespectivelyaninitial and-a final work: table, said tables 'beinglocated at opposite ends of afbasefplate '3; In :the illustratedembodiment of the inventionthe mail matter" which is" handled by -Zthemachine has; the

7 nature of envelopes and tlie'machine func tions 'to sealz saidenvelopes and to's'ubse-- quently'print mailing "permits or; otherstamps thereupon; The envelopes are fed through; the machine insu'ccessionflin substantially upright; position antral-e supportedand'guided in their travel by achan 4 nel shaped rail4. Said rai'l'has-a unitary connection fwith the work tables -1 ana ;12- and=the unit1 2 and4 isverticallyadjust e able according to thesize-of the envelopes5 which form'the work,-"in-order'to' establish the proper level 'ofgthe'flap carryingupper edge'of said envelopes'relative to the seal} 7ingvmeans and also to insureappl'ication of i j ,the printed permit orstamp to'the envelope,

in proper proximity tosaidedges ofthe sealing and stamp printingfimachine to:

envelopes. travel of] the envelopes throughthe machine fromthe table 1to the table 2' 1s COIltlIlllQllS, being affected by: a series ofpairsfof feed rolls 6;,;'6 Z17, 8,8-,"

,9, 9",-and'10, 10"." The first operationper formed bythe machine ismoistening of the,

vadhesive icoated ,flap's; T-he'. specific; means for accomplishing thisresult isfno feature f:

of the present/invention and said means; i

may be sufliciently described as comprising an inclined driven diskelement 11, thelowe'r' v s portion ot-which isfimmersed in a watervessel 11", while its upper portioni engag the gummed flapsof the,envelopes 5 as the latter are advancedfby the; rolls 7, 71

Sealing of; theflap. is accom-I Y and 8, 8.

plished vjointly the rolls 9, 9'{ and- 10, 10' r and coaxial with-theroll '8 is a rotary printer I 12' for applying the stamp or permit tothe "1 envelopes. without interruption .of their travel. For the purposeof its adjustment, a; theqrail 4- fcarr'ies' two interiorly=threaded vsleeves 13;;one of which is: formedas an integral'downwardprojection'fromthe iniso tial feed tablerl, while the other dependsintegrally from anarm 14 projecting later-g v Said sleeves act las feednuts for ra sing vand lowering the'track. and 7' ally from said rail.

tables through engagement offthe sleeves with a pair- 0f vertical screws15:"and" 155M which. are journaledlin the .base;3 and. are v 1'::adapted to be driven inLunison'byla m h; f anismu'arrangedsbeneathsaid base; The unitary "drive 'connection betweengthe twa screwscomprises a shaftlG below thebasel '1 an'dna 'pairof" spiral gears 'il7a nin -5 ends of said shaft meshing with spiral gears:-

18 -up0n the lower endportions of said: 'iscrewswPower .is applied tothe screw15v and from the latter'to th-e-screw '15 through the shaft16*an'd gears 317318. For driving p "the" screw lflyaispurgear 19is\n'oounted; fast.--v upon the lower end'thereof: and is adaptedtobe;driven by a-n'idler piniQn' QO ithr a QW'hich a gear 21 in turn has.drivingiengage-Ja j. me e rh pinion ZO-andfgeajr 21 are xl9 'nal'ed-'upon aniarm,22varrangedradial1y to the screwj15 beneath the base 3 andf-formed 1 with an; integral bearing 23; journaled inlri "said base and-:engaged' by the journal .p'or-c. tion of' the screw =15.- Above thebase a; 7

control handle 24 is rigidlysecuredtb thearm 22'by pins- 25',-thejournal-portion of 5 the"screw'15"passingyalsothrough theend 4 7 i' saidhandle" which engages said p operation. Through rocking the ar1n'22 bymean'sof thehandle 24:, the gear 21 may be r selectivelyfmeshedwitheither of the gears F26 and 27 v and thus afdriveuniform in speed andselective in "di-rectionfni'aybe 'ap-.

will be evident that the sleeves or nuts 13 Will "be "fed upwardly ordownwardly upon 1 reotionfofdrive ofthe latter "and thus the .vwardlvaccording to the limiting position to" Qvvhich tlie" handle '24 isshifted. 'In the in terme'di'ate position of said handle, which is V .26and 27Qandfthe track and work jitables am-consequenuy stationary; T

j 1;,Weight', the-elimination of necessity for rais- 'Qing or' loweringsaid units imanuallyis quite I e c 4 A :Wtweensa1d supports andInechanis1n as- :sociated I with one of; said supports adjust;

able to-efi'ect' a driveitheret'o in opposite di- 105 jddesirable. i

What' I claimas" m invention is I 1 1:111 a rnachine of theccharacterdescribed, jthe combination with means for operating -c. "iipjonarticle's,- and' a trackiuponzwhich arti-f cl'esare adapted 'tobe fed tosaidwmeans, a feed table and a delivery table i connected i with said;trackand adjustable therewith,

. ,pfispaced screws supportinglsaidtrack, and:

-' f 'inea'ns' :for. driving said screws .1n unlson' to h fiiltracli'relative tosaid operating 'ime'ansy i i y c the t-combination jWith nieans for operating 'iiponf articlesnof al'track upon whith articles f are adapted-to be fed tfo sald ineans,-screws;f.

V engagingmm .track at'lspaced points there i f of, 1 andinl'ean s ffordrivings aid SCleVVS'mlIl' unison alternatlvely in e ther directlon'btoefiect'raisingif or, loweringj'of Isai'dytiack;

' 1 therewitlfiva support. for said'trac'k rotatableupon articles, and atrack upon which articles gpliedto the, two-feed screws and 15'; It Vfsupport ir'oln the memberrcarned bysaid 'trackA; and'the Work tables15' and 2 will be i adjustedin unison either upwardly or down shown'infull lines in Figure-2, the gear 21" I is *disehgzjigedlfrom-both ofthe drive gears" 2 1 inach'ineof the characterdescribed z V I 3i,In-ainachi-netof thecharacter described, i .i thebombina'tionswitli'means for operating upon articles, and a track l o'r feeding articles I"to said 'means', alfee'd table; andadfelivery- I qtable connected to;said track and adjustable,

establishing a drive connection from'said shaft to said rotatalolesupport. 7

4. Ina machine of'the character described, the combinationwith means foroperating are adapted to be "fed to said nieans, of a member supportingsaid track rotatableto efiect vertical adjustmentofthe track,continuously oppositely driven shafts, a pivotal arm having a handlemember, a member carried by said arln adapted to be driven alternatelyby said shafts in'limiting' positions of said'arnn' and Ineansestablishing a; f constant driveconIie'ction tosaid-rotatable;

5. In a machine of the 'character describedr the combination With meansforuoperating-wy upon articlesyand-atrack uponiwhich arti cles areadaptedto'be' fedfto said"n1eans,-of 7 a screw rotativelyengaging, saidtrack-1 tow} vertically adjust'the same, an arm-pivoted: coaxially withsaid screw, a rotative transmission member mounted upon said arm and'havinga constantdrive connectionivith said screw, and continuouslyoppositely-driven members alternatively; having a drive con z nection tothe memben on'saicl arm in op H posits limiting positions of pivotaladjust inent of the arm.

the combination with means for operating upon articles, and a track upon"which articles a are adapted to be fedto said neans, of

spaced support-s for saidtrack rotatablegto eflectvertical?aidjustrnentvof theitrack, means 1 establishing-a constantdrive-connection be: p

rectionsj v saidmeans, a mounting for saidstrackiadapt a I "ing the sameforadjustmentrelativetogthegv "operating means; andmeans-jfor applying:power to effect such adjus t 1ne11t. 3

8. In a machine as set forth in claim oppositely driven means, andmeans? for-"en: gaging the power applying ineans With either I of saiddrivenmeansaccordingto whether} i fit is desired. to 1 raise or lowersaid; tracks 1 9 In ia'- maili'ng machineof the character describedhaving ifeed; table; a delivery 7 table, and rn'eansfor feeding;stamping and. delivering envelopes disposed betweensaid ,1 manageratrack upon which the envelopes" are adaptedto be fed pastzsaigdimeansfrom, one tabletotheother, said tables anditrack l. v beingconnectedjand movablel'as ajunit, op;, @to effect vertical adjustmentoft-hetrach'aj continuously driven .shaftfland lneans ffort Y positelvdriven means "for vertically; adjust i 6'. "In a machine a thecharacter.ascri ed, 9

means for engaging the power applying means With either of said drivenmeans according to Whether it is desired lower said track.

10. In a machine of the character de scribed,' the combination of'a"feed table, a delivery table, and meansintermediate the to raise ortables for operating upon articles, and a track upon which articles areadaptedv to be fed past said means; from 'one table to the 0ther,-of asupport for said track ro'-:

tatable to effect vertical adjustment of the 7 track, oppositely drivenshafts, and means for selectively driving said rotatable sup portfromelther shaft.

GEORGE E. SHELDRIOK.

